1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a continuous reactor and a method for manufacturing nanoparticles using the same, and particularly to a method for continuously manufacturing nanoparticles through alternating diverging and converging channels.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, much progress has been made in synthesis and applications of nanoparticles. In the past, nanoparticles are manufactured in a batch system which performs precipitation and reduction of many raw materials in a control volume to obtain the product, and therefore it needs to increase the reaction volume to increase production efficiency. However, the quality of synthesized nanoparticles is greatly influenced by reaction volume, as well as mixing uniformity of raw materials, mixing time and mixing efficiency during the process.
Currently, there are many studies involving research on improvement of nanoparticle synthesis. In 2009, Tai et al. employs SDR (Spinning Disk Reactor) to continuously prepare silver nanoparticles having a diameter of less than 10 nm with a yield of only 69.4%. In 2010; Hartlieb et al. use hydrogen as a reducing agent to synthesize silver nanoparticles through NCR (Narrow Channel Reactor), which, however, needs a long-term continuous operation or many reactors connected in series. In 2008, Huang et al. synthesize silver nanoparticles having a diameter of 4-50 nm using a T-type blender together with a tubular heater, but the obtained particle diameter distribution is too broad. Also, in 2005, Wagner et al. synthesize silver nanoparticles having a diameter of 5-50 nm using a micro-scaled reactor, but there exists a great limitation on the flow rate of the reaction solution, thus failing to comply with the requirement for mass production.
In view of the above-mentioned problems, what is needed in the art is to develop a substitution for the existing method and device for manufacturing nanoparticles in batch mass production, to meet the industrial requirements such as uniform diameter, mass production, low costs, and so on, to broaden the application field of nanoparticles.